Community Spirit

This week we get to know Pagent! Pagent has come out of her shell under the foster care of WHS volunteer Kirsten Stade and family. Help us find Pagent a great forever home this week!

Meet Pagent, a sweet, silly, lovable little pup who loves to cuddle, play with other dogs or by herself, and go for hikes and swims. When Pagent first came to the adoption center, she was so shy she barely wanted to be handled. We don't know why she was so timid, but we do know that once she came into foster care, she came out of her shell with breakneck speed. Though she still is a tad cautious with new people and not a big fan of loud noises, she is overall just a typical happy puppy—running around with her canine "brothers," following her foster people around the house, welcoming of affection and play time. True to her lab roots, she loves to play in the water. She already shows promise as a swimmer, and even enjoys kayaking!

Lennox Barnes’s life has come to a sad and bitter end. His story is heartbreaking and infuriating, with one part incomprehensible bureaucratic righteousness and three parts love, humanity and the shared will for profound change.

For those who haven’t heard, the details of his short life are achingly tragic. In May 2010, Lennox Barnes was taken from his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland. All indications are that he was a model citizen – he had no known history of bad behavior, and no aggressive or violent actions in his past.

Early one Friday morning in June, Donnie the Pekin duck was preparing to fly south—via US Airways. Tucked inside a soft-sided pet carrier, we made our way through the airport, keeping our fingers crossed that Donnie would make it through check-in and security without any trouble. We had called the airline ahead of time to confirm that Donnie would be allowed in the cabin, but knowing that ducks probably aren’t an everyday sight for travelers and airline staff, we proceeded with caution.

This week’s featured foster pet is the beautiful Tally. She is currently living with her foster caregiver Diane Barnes and family while she waits patiently to find her forever home. Help Tally meet her match this week by sharing her story and photos with your friends, family, and communities!

We celebrate a few of this week’s alumni below. Please help us make more alumni this weekend—check out our end of Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month Meow Mixer on Saturday for your last chance to adopt a feline friend for no fee! The event will take place at our Behavior & Leaning Center at 7315 Georgia Avenue NW, from noon to 5 p.m. If now isn’t a good time to adopt, consider joining our life-saving foster volunteer team.

MahoganyKatarina Vilkman has kept up with us through the years after she adopted pup Mahogany and took several WHS Behavior & Learning classes and private training sessions. Her latest happy update—the family is officially growing:“Dan and I got engaged and we included Mahogany in our engagement photo session! The photographer just loved her!”

Protecting animals and working with our community to prevent cruelty is what our dedicated field services team does day in and day out, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We believe that every animal matters—regardless of breed, size, age, or any other factor. Recently, one case surrounding one small reptile proved just that.

In December, our Animal Care & Control Officers were assisting Metropolitan Police Department Officers with a search warrant at the home of Darnell Jones, 34, in Washington, DC, when they came across a snake. The snake was extremely underweight and appeared to be having difficulty shedding her skin which is indicative of significant husbandry and care issues. The subsequent investigation by Humane Law Enforcement Officer Michael Triebwasser revealed that the snake had been underweight for seven months and had never at any point during that time been taken to a veterinarian for proper care.

Today we introduce you to another great animal in our foster program, Bermuda. Bermuda is currently under the care of our foster volunteer Yolanda Thomas. We are asking for your help to find Bermuda a loving home this week. Please share her story and photos with your friends, families, and communities. We are thrilled to report that in just the last four days, after reaching out to our incredible WHS family, nearly 100 cats and kittens have left our shelter through foster, transfer, and adoption. This just goes to show that together we can make a difference and save more lives! Please help Bermuda and more WHS animals this week!